Back in January, when Raz Simone stepped into the Booth with Don’t Shine, I noted the way in which the Seattle repper’s passion for movie scores had influenced his sound. Little did I know, just a few short weeks later we’d find him rhyming over a composition by renowned film composer Hans Zimmer. On new mixtape single They’ll Speak, Raz repurposes Time, the theme song from 2010 blockbuster Inception, to serve as the backdrop for emotionally raw bars chronicling his transformation from a cornerboy to a rising rap star. The complete lack of percussion (besides the piano, if you want to get technical) doesn’t stop him from turning in a bravura performance on the mic—in fact, the sparse instrumental only heightens the impact of his rhymes. Fans will be able to find They’ll Speak and much more on the artist’s Cognitive Dissonance: Part One street album. His first release as part of Lyor Cohen‘s newly-launched 300 label, the project is out now.

More from Raz Simone

Seattle emcee Raz Simone has come together with Black Umbrella and 300 to release a digital full-length, the Cognitive Dissonance: Part One EP.
Included on the 10-track project are previously-featured, Booth-approved...
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